Vineyards on the Rhine
The Kühling-Gillot winery is located in Bodenheim in Rheinhessen and cultivates vineyards between Bodenheim and Oppenheim along the Rhine riverfront and on the Roten Hang. The vineyard areas include historic steep slopes on the Roten Hang as well as further VDP.ERSTE LAGE and VDP.GROSSE LAGE vineyards.
Soils and grape varieties
The winery works with red slate and calcareous marl soils. The Riesling vineyards feature slate soils, while the Pinot Noir areas around Oppenheim and Bodenheim are shaped by calcareous soils. Around 75 per cent of the vineyards are Riesling and 15 per cent are Pinot Noir; there are also Grauburgunder and Chardonnay.
Cultivation and history
Kühling-Gillot has been certified as organic since 2004 and describes today’s work in the vineyards as biodynamic. The steep plots on the Roten Hang are worked by hand according to the principles of dry farming. Straw is used to support soil life and water retention capacity. According to the winery, wine has been produced in the great Rhine vineyards for centuries. Carolin Spanier-Gillot has run the winery since 2006 together with H.O. Spanier; since 1997, she has been a member of the VDP.
Maturation and ripening
The wines ferment spontaneously in large wooden casks, traditional tonneaux with 1,200 litres, double tonneaux with 2,400 litres, smaller wooden casks with 225 or 500 litres, and in stainless-steel tanks. According to the winery, no additives or fining agents are used, and vinification is completed with a minimal addition of sulphites. A cellar for maturation built into the hillside allows for extended bottle ageing; many Riesling and Pinot Noir wines are released three, five or even up to ten years after the harvest.
